P.C. Hooft Prize

P.C. Hooft Prize, in full P.C. Hooft Prize for Literature, Dutch P.C. Hooft-prijs voor Letterkunde, Dutch literary prize established in 1947 in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the death of Dutch dramatist and poet Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft and traditionally presented on or about May 21, the day of his death.

At its inception, the award was presented under the auspices of the Dutch state and honoured a single novel, or collection of essays, or poetry written in Dutch. In 1955 the prize was changed to reward lifetime contributions to Dutch literature, alternating annually between those same genres.

In 1984 critic Hugo Brandt Corstius was selected to receive the prize, but, because of scathing remarks he had made about Dutch politicians, the minister of education, culture, and science declined to present it to him. As a result, the jury for the following year’s award resigned in protest. The award was not presented from 1984 to 1986. In 1987 an alliance of literary organizations that included the Society of Dutch Literature and the PEN Center gained control of the award from the state and presented it to Corstius. A cash prize was attached.